Every quarter or so, the UCSC Chancellor, MRC "Marcy" Greenwood holds a staff forum. She usually makes a little presentation, and then opens the floor up to questions.
These are my notes, annotated with further details, such as the cost of the consultancy of "AVCOR."
MRC--
Cuts will come, but we don't know exactly how much or when.
We've done this before and we will get through this.
The hiring freeze and saving money on procedures will save us money.
We're looking at a campus-only recruitment for 6-8 months to
conserve employment opportunities on campus. Look for
announcement later.
Good news
She's happy about the U Center and attendance at opening.
Traffic signals at Hagar and Coolidge and Coolidge and
the PPC road. Paid for with grants. (Q later, who paid
for signal that grant didn't cover? Parking fees. What if there
is a cost overrun, who will pay for that beyond the grant? Some
evasivness, but finally: parking fees. )
Compressed natural gas station
Wasn't it Gertrude Stein who said "I've been rich and I've been poor, rich is better. "
[actually, no. http://www.bartleby.com/66/16/61816.html It was
Sophie Tucker]
Simpson spoke.
If the state has a problem, we have a problem.
See his web site
http://www.ucsc.edu/news_events/budget_impact/02-11-03_simpson.html
http://www.ucsc.edu/news_events/budget_impact/index.html
We will cut the budget by looking for efficiencies.
His budget strategy. No sacred cows. (Even the need for
an Executive Vice Chancellor can be looked at. har har. See
later question about his salary and AVCOR. )
No "silos"--budget cuts can be made anywhere, across the
campus. [I think this means if we decided we're not paying for
paperclips in Arts division, then BAS doesn't get paper clips either.]
We are also looking at making money.
We are assisted by AVCOR
http://www.avcorconsulting.com/
We will consult widely.
--Open question period--
Why aren't there sidewalks between Barns and High/Bay?
Wes Scott--haven't rec'd grants to make entrance pedestrian
friendly. But we have rec'd $2M in grants in ten years.
Is there to be a VERIP or TRIP?
No VERIP except in some target job titles, maybe.
TRIP was very attractive in early 90s. We are going
to have a TRIP, but program has been announced yet.
[UPTE has also been told by SW that a TRIP is coming.]
Given the cost of living here, what have you done to
tell UCOPP we're in hardship here?
I am consistently sharing with UCOP the
realestate market information. I also talk with the
City to build affordable housing. We still do comparisons
on salaries [regionally.]
Asked of Simpson--when you first came here, you drove
a convertible sports car, now you're in an old volvo. Is your
pay raise still frozen? Simpson says that his raise is
still frozen and he still drives the volvo.
Same person, second question. Why don't we have the
expertise in-house to deal with the deal with the
budget cuts? The implication of this question is that
we are told that vice chancellors get paid lots of money
because they are the best. So why can't they do this
themselves? This same person wasn't impressed
with the work AVCOR had done at Physical Plant.
Simpson: UCSC has a hard time being self-critical and
making change. It doesn't happen without an
external provocation like budget cuts.
MRC--The expertise to do this is not on this campus.
The person asked, Can I buy stock in AVCOR?
[answer-no, it is owned by the two partners, who appear
to be the only employees too. Scott Nostaja and Scott Morris.]
IS AVCOR paid a flat rate or by how much they save us?
Simpson said a flat rate, and they will save much more than
they are being paid.
[According to http://www.santa-cruz.com/archive/2003/January/15/local/stories/05local.htm
this story in Sentinal, they are being paid about $20K to $30K]
I have a proposal, and I know everyone is going to laugh but I'm serious.
Have you considered paying AVCOR out of your own paycheck since you
are being paid to do this sort of work and you can't do it? (not exact quote,
but that was the gist.]
Simpson--No.
MRC--Let's move on.
[a tense moment, which is interesting because, yes, they could have been paid by MRC,
Simpson, and the other VC's without too much pain.]
When is the axe going to fall?
Simpson: First, we have to give some money back July 1. It is a process, with
an implementation of three years. There will be systemic and
strategic changes. It will be far less damaging than just a cutting off. It's
not happening just this July and be done with it.
State support has always been going down, and it will in the future.
MRC asked Francisco Hernandez "When are cuts in Student Affairs and
Outreach coming?" --he was asleep.
MRC I feel badly that some of you don't think we should seek outside
expertise.
What are parking fees going to be?
5% increase this year, so $3 a month.
How much does AVCOR cost?
MRC--I don't have that figure.
[Liz Irwin had given that figure to the Sentinal, but MRC didn't ask
her for it. She moved on to the next question, with some visible
anger.]
When are new vanpools coming?
Wes Scott--Funding is here, TAPS is discussing if 15 passg vans
are safe.
The low attendance today is result of poor notification
procedure. Several people in this person's dept had
heard about it by word of mouth and didn't know you could
get release time for it. MRC defended the publicity for the event, but
said they will try harder.
Students can't do math when they get here. Why
isn't there a subject A for math?
MRC--that's up to the senate.
Which depts are going to be increased in staff to deal with
increase enrollments . [This person had asked this question
of Simpson twice before, and twice before had been told that
he would get it next time.] This time the answer was that the
divisional deans have the plans and have better information.
We will be receiving money for enrollment growth.
We need more student advisors.
MRC- The committees will look into that.
What about the CUE contract?
MRC--I can't comment on that here. I hear they are in mediation.
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